The design process: a lovely creative journey

Though the design process shifts a little from project to project, the essence remains the same. It's a creative journey we take together, navigate and tweak as we go, until we find the ultimate design solution.

Consult

How do we begin this journey?

We have a heart to heart. This can take place over the phone, on a skype call, or at a meeting place, say a coffee shop or at your place of business.

What can I expect from our first creative meeting?

A lot of questions! I like to pull out as much information as I can out of my client, in order to flesh out where your needs are at. When designing a logo, I want to know what you ‘think’ you are looking for, what’s working for you (with your current branding, if you have one) and what you are hoping to get as an end result.

At this meeting, the stakeholders or decision makers must be present. It is a lot like taking a trip together. We will begin, then travel, then arrive at our destination. You are an integral part of the design process.

Concept

What happens next?

I go away with the information I gathered from our meeting, and I do my own research into your company, your competitive landscape, and your audience. It’s part design research, and part instinct. Out of this comes observations about the character of the company, and who you are speaking to, and how these entities connect. Your business values and personality are unearthed, and sketches and ideas start taking shape. I draw correlations, connections and meaning, see patterns and shapes, and the first drafts start taking shape.

After ideation of various concepts, I reduce my ideas into a specific creative direction, and prepare to present you a few concepts for a first look. I upload the content to a password protected page on my website, which I provide you a link during our 1st review meeting (again, this can be done in person, or on a call – you will need internet access and preferably a computer to view my concepts, though these are also viewable on mobile).

Design

How do we proceed with the design?

During the concept review, I take in your teams feedback and ideas and rationalize the pros and cons with you as to why I chose the creative direction. On the spot, I do my best to take in all your feedback and explain how I see your ideas fitting into the concepts, or how we can tweak the concepts to move into the design phase. I then return to the drawing board, and this is where the project really comes to life.

Refine

How many times can I review the design?

I believe the ideal solution is to achieve a WIN-WIN — we review the design until we are both happy with it. This is usually achieved in 2-3 reviews, in my own experience. I don’t put a limit on this, because a creative process has it’s own way of unfolding.

The designer-client relationship is as unique as the creative process. After a few meetings, we will know exactly what is working and what isn’t. I have worked with many entrepreneurs, business leaders and creative and non-creative people, and the process of design is always the same — we craft the direction of the desired results together. All that is required is a shared commitment to finding the best solution.

Launch

Awesome… Are we done yet?

Almost! The final steps are mostly me ensuring that the colours, fonts and files will work for your business and marketing needs going forward. I create the files in all digital formats you require, and put together the brand guidelines or print files, etc., and then hand this over to you. I make these available to you again via an online link. Each project mandates it's own production requirements.

I draw correlations, connections and meaning, see patterns and shapes, and the first drafts start taking shape.After ideation of various concepts, I reduce my ideas into a specific creative direction, and prepare to present you a few concepts for a first look.

During the review, I take in your feedback and ideas and rationalize the pros and cons with you as to why I chose the creative direction. I then return to the drawing board, and this is where the project really comes to life.